One of the things I love most about England is the REALLY old architecture to be found. So as a teenager and into my twenties, I bought these little handmade David Winter Cottages. They were the first things I collected and I still have them to this day, including all their original boxes. I saved up to buy them with the first money I ever earned myself!
I toured the factory where they were made, watching the artists at work and learned that each one is based in some part on a real building. Inspiration for the cottages came from a variety of sources; old books, manuscripts, etchings and real buildings. But, the final shape and form of the sculpture comes firmly from David's imagination. He would sculpt the original, a mould was made by hand, the cottage was poured and then finished by hand.
Each cottage was a limited edition, came with an authenticity certificate and was numbered. Over the years I also managed to purchase quite a few signed by David Winter. Some are part of collections, the snow covered ones were the Christmas collection.
When I moved so far from England, I never thought twice about bringing all of them with me. It seemed like this was the reason I collected them all those years ago, because one day they'd be a precious reminder of home for me.
I have 21 in my collection. Although they don't hold great monetary value, they are priceless and a little bit of home to me.
Do you have something precious you collect?
One of the things I love most about England is the REALLY old architecture to be found. So as a teenager and into my twenties, I bought these little handmade David Winter Cottages. They were the first things I collected and I still have them to this day, including all their original boxes. I saved up to buy them with the first money I ever earned myself! 
I toured the factory where they were made, watching the artists at work and learned that each one is based in some part on a real building. Inspiration for the cottages came from a variety of sources; old books, manuscripts, etchings and real buildings. But, the final shape and form of the sculpture comes firmly from David's imagination. He would sculpt the original, a mould was made by hand, the cottage was poured and then finished by hand. 
Each cottage was a limited edition, came with an authenticity certificate and was numbered. Over the years I also managed to purchase quite a few signed by David Winter. Some are part of collections, the snow covered ones were the Christmas collection. 
When I moved so far from England, I never thought twice about bringing all of them with me. It seemed like this was the reason I collected them all those years ago, because one day they'd be a precious reminder of home for me. 
20 comments:
Oh NO! Looks like you've gotten hit by the Chinese spammer. I got hit, too. The thing is he hit several of my posts interspersed through the year. Really weird and aggravating. I had to stick in my word verification, too.
I LOVE your house collection! They are absolutely precious and beautiful.
I didn't know Ed was a Chinese name! Crazy spammers.
Anywho, I love David Winters! Those cottages are precious. My aunt has several and when I was little I used to love to go to her house and just look at them and imagine myself in a tiny English fairy village. I didn't want to watch TV or play with my cousins. I wanted to sit and look at the village and imagine. I'm certain those villages started my Anglophilia. Sounds like a disease doesn't it? :)
This brings back such wonderful and powerful memories! My grandmother collects these and I always found them mesmerizing!
I have to confess that I love those kind of things.
I'm not a collector, myself, just a packrat. I love the little cottages and I love "old world" architecture. They sure don't build things like they used to.
Sarah, I love the David Winter cottages! I have one of his and I have several Irish cottages I bought in Ireland (probably 12 of those). I love architecture and collecting them is a fun past time!
Sorry about Ed! He posted on one of my posts too. Really inconsiderate! Really get a life!!
Ed seems to have missed me. One of the benefits of being a little known blogger I guess!
My mum, er, mom collects coffee mugs. They are on wall racks all over her kitchen walls and on mug trees on the counters. She has one from every state in the union, and every country that my brother has travelled to. He always makes sure to get one for her, such a good son.
My best friend collects shot glasses and I collect key rings, its a space issue thing, had to find something that didn't take up a lot of space.
Your collection is marvelous Sarah. You're so right about having them for a reason. A taste of home in Okieland.
I collect jewelry, rocks, knives, native american artifacts..... Too much stuff for living in an RV.
Great post.
These are so beautiful.I love stuff like this
That blinkin' Ed Chinese porn spammer was everywhere!
I love your little houses. The first reminds me of the poem "There was Crooked Man". I love Chester and York where there are lots of higgledy piggledy houses like that.
These are beautiful and charming,and I love the history of buildings in Europe, too. And I'm impressed this is what you did with your first earned money. I think bought shoes!
My mom collects David Winters and I collect Liliput Lane houses.
I love your little cottages. I'm drawn to cottages that have moss on their roofs. Or anything English, really. I must have had a least one life in England. Plus most of my ancestors are from England.
My mother collected Lladro, Spanish porcelein so I now have 1/3 of the collection. Your china cabinet looks a lot like mine - in which I display the Lladro.
I collect Tea for One Teapots
He he ... I'm kind of a dork that way.
I got that gobbldygook from ed. as well. Being the naive technophobe I thought it was a post that went wrong...made no sense to me and I saw it everywhere when commenting.
As to your houses, they are so cute and still being sold over here. I collect chinese figures, old men in yellow green or blue robes, fishing, reading, carrying baskets etc.
Very nice post and the collection is beautiful.
I can only imagine how it must feel to have something that you kept, protected and cherished for so many years. All of my once treasured items are long gone.
I adore these things. NOt usually much into miniatures but they are adorable. And all veddy English.
I love these. Love lil' house model like this. they are particulalry fun at xmas, aren't they?
Oh, adn no, i don't collect anything but "sugar in teh raw" packs for some reason--like I'll need them later. you know, can't be without good brown sugar for tea and coffee! Hee.
My goodness, these take me back! My great Uncle literally had hundreds of these David Winter cottages! My mum has a couple too!
BTW, great blog. I admire you for settling down in another country, miles and miles from friends and family. That takes a lot of courage. Though having fallen in love surely helped! :)
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